Energy Facility Siting Council Approves Boardman-to-Hemingway Transmission Line

On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, the Energy Facility Siting Council voted to approve the proposed Boardman-to-Hemingway Transmission Line. The 500-kilovolt, 300-mile transmission line will be owned by Idaho Power and is expected to run from Boardman, OR to a substation in southwest Idaho.

The proposed transmission line has been moving through the federal and state EFSC permitting process for over a decade (actively with EFSC since 2017), with dozens of public meetings and hundreds of hours of Oregon Department of Energy staff time. EFSC members, who are community volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, also spent significant time over several years reviewing complex documents and analysis, hearing from experts, asking thoughtful questions, listening to public testimony, and addressing concerns raised. On Tuesday, EFSC voted 6 to 0 to approve the line.

ODOE and EFSC are grateful to the many Oregonians who have gotten involved and shared their views on the project. Like most energy facilities, Boardman-to-Hemingway saw community opposition, and we acknowledge that not all Oregonians will be satisfied by EFSC’s vote. The decision may be appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court by parties to the contested case proceeding (per ORS 469.403, parties to the contested case have 60 days to file an appeal).

More information on the project, including record documents, is available on ODOE’s website. Learn more about the public siting process and the standards facilities must meet for approval.